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Discussion Topics: October 25, 2023

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One of my other activities is chairing a community discussion group each week.

Here is this week's conversation starter:

1.China’s economic growth has slowed down in part due to a harsher, longer Covid shutdown. China also has a demographic crisis, partly a legacy of the now curtailed One Child Policy, with too many elderly people compared to too few people of working age. China’s population (over 1.4 Billion people) is too large for new workers coming into China to make a difference. In any case China does not want other people particularly not Muslim people from western China increasing proportionately against the current 92% of Han Chinese.
Australia in contrast has a small enough population (26.8 million) people for immigration of new young Australians to make a difference. Since the white Australia policy was abolished 50 years ago we don’t have major concerns over the racial mix of immigrants. In proof of that after immigrants from England the 2 largests sources of immigrants into Australia today are India and Mainland China
 What do ya think?

2.China is producing more vehicles overall than the US, Japan, India and South Korea combined. China is producing more Electric Vehicles (including Teslas) than the rest of the world combined. Chinese cars used to have inefficient engines and be of poor quality, but now are high quality at cheaper prices. All MGs, new London Taxis and many Mercedes, Volvos (China owns Volvo and Lotus), Audis and BMWs are made in China. India's owns redoubtable Land Rover and may be able to revive the long ailing Jaguar. What do you think?

3. In an attempt to wedge the ruling Labor Party and the urban trendy Greens Duttonis creating mischief in advocating nuclear energy. In the years Dutton was a Coalition minister the Coalition never advocated nuclear generated electricity. In his No campaign against renewables he is advocating Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors (SMRs) for electricity. Australia seems on track to rely 95% on renewables for power (wind, solar, batteries and hydro). So SMRs might only be needed for 5% capacity. SMRs are undeveloped technically and there are no commercial ones. Federal laws ban power reactors. Public acceptance? Politicians are always nervous in suggesting reactors be built in their electorates - so they never do. Existing power lines? Delays? No nuclear waste dumps in Australia. Any thoughts?

 

4.Humanitarian Disasterin Gaza and Israel. Even if Hamas started it is true...is  Gaza turning into a 300 people a day death camp? Dirty water born diseases Cholera and Dysentery may become the biggest killers as the people of Gaza (being denied fresh water) are forced to drink dirty stagnant water. 


5. Oscar Wilde quotes that are True or False?

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”

“One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.

Work is the curse of the drinking classes.

"I am not young enough to know everything."

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

"Everything in moderation, including moderation."

“Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.”

“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.”

“There is nothing so difficult to marry as a large nose.”

“The well bred contradict other people. The wise contradict themselves.”


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